What Bracknell Thinks: Are people in Bracknell happy?

This week we asked our panel what their response was to an article in last week’s Bracknell Forest Standard about happiness in Bracknell. A survey said happiness levels in the town were lower than the national average.

Kelly Knight - I think the ever-growing worry with money and people’s futures do give people sleepless nights. The elderly in the town are left in areas where bus routes have been cancelled and care has been cut, and those wishing to get on the property ladder – like myself – are also left with sleepless nights.

Share

This week we asked our panel what their response was to an article in last week’s Bracknell Forest Standard about happiness in Bracknell. A survey said happiness levels in the town were lower than the national average.

Kelly Knight, a test coordinator at Gillette, from Bracknell: “I do agree with this. I think the ever-growing worry with money and people’s futures do give people sleepless nights. The elderly in the town are left in areas where bus routes have been cancelled and care has been cut, and those wishing to get on the property ladder – like myself – are also left with sleepless nights.

“The prices in Bracknell are astonishing when you look at what is on offer for people in the town. The town centre looks like a ghost town with more shops boarded up than those that are open.

“Bracknell needs to get back on track – we need less focus on flower beds to impress other towns, no more stone statues or road islands being relocated metres from their previous location.

“All this can wait five minutes and then the town can be focused on it’s regeneration.”

Jonathan Greenyer, an artist and author from Winkfield: “Nothing to get excited about. Sorry it’s media hype again. Yes, it is true Bracknell town centre is a dump, property prices in the south are high, unemployment and fear of job losses are ever present and our leaders in industry, commerce and government set us such fine examples of greed, corruption and incompetence. But to be happy it is so important to be comfortable with yourself, your expectations and your circumstances.

“If you’re not happy, do something to change things. Don’t just take it as a given that life must be a river of misery and it’s someone else’s fault.

“We have unrealistic expectations of what is worthwhile – stop chasing the next vacuous, go-faster, glitzy, meaningless, media-hyped lunacy.”

Janet Curley Cannon, artist at Gallery@49 in Broadway: “The survey looked at the ‘satisfaction with where we live’ and, despite a great deal of wonderful things about Bracknell like access to green spaces, The Look Out, South Hill Park Arts Centre, the bike path network and sports facilities, these are let down by the appalling state of the town centre. Most people who know of Bracknell immediately think of the derelict town centre and the iconic Winchester House (3M building).

“I find I’m usually defending the area by pointing out the nice things that we can take pride in around here. No surprise that Bracknell residents are not happy. A fresh approach to what can be done to improve the town centre immediately would make a lot of people happy.”

Hazel Kent, owner Bracknell Market cafe: “I simply can’t comprehend why the question has to be asked as to why people in Bracknell are not happy. It’s not rocket science. The council and/or Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) aren’t interested in telling anyone anything other than “See how your new town will look – once we have some money”.

“It’s like the old game shows where the contestant loses and their noses are rubbed into it showing what they “could” have won.

“People in Bracknell are sick to the back teeth of thousands being wasted on endless plans for the town, then nothing happening other than more shops closing down.

“It’s been going on for 20 years, so when is new blood going to be injected into BRP?”